Desmond Bane’s arrival in Orlando marks a turning level for a Magic franchise that has formally shifted from a developmental focus to competition.
The Orlando Magic acquired Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies in a franchise-altering commerce that despatched Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, 4 unprotected first-round picks (2025, Phoenix’s 2026, 2028, 2030), and a 2029 choose swap to Memphis. The deal, now made official by the league, permits the Magic to aggressively handle their most urgent wants whereas sustaining their younger core.
“We’re very thrilled to welcome Desmond to the Orlando Magic household,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman mentioned. “Over his 5 years within the NBA, Desmond has distinguished himself as one of many elite guards in our league, and we look ahead to his capturing, IQ and wide-ranging ability set in serving to our group take a step ahead. Desmond’s character is held in excessive regard throughout the league and we imagine he’ll match seamlessly with our current gamers each on and off the court docket.”
This marked the Magic’s first main participant acquisition since buying and selling for Markelle Fultz in 2019. Weltman made it clear the deal displays a long-planned organizational shift.
“When the season ended, we knew it was time to make a transfer with a win-now lens,” Weltman mentioned. “We needed so as to add confirmed offensive expertise with out sacrificing our defensive identification, and Desmond checks all of the containers.”
Weltman added that whereas the commerce could affect how Orlando evaluates particular draft wants or positional priorities, the group’s overarching philosophy and long-term strategy to participant growth stay unchanged.
“Clearly, our roster’s modified, so possibly from that perspective we could should recalibrate the wants and the way we wish to refill the positional wants that we have now,” he mentioned. “However I do not assume our draft philosophy adjustments.”
Magic Make Guess on Themselves
Orlando parted with 5 future picks within the deal however retained its younger core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, and Tristan Da Silva. Weltman acknowledged the danger in parting with so many unprotected choices, however believes it was a calculated transfer primarily based on confidence within the present group.
“We really feel that we’re betting on ourselves. We really feel like we’re going to be group,” he mentioned. “One of many distinctive issues about this commerce when you consider the caliber of the participant that Desmond Bane is, on the age that he’s at, and with the contract management that you’ve got, is that we gave up none of our personal core items. So, this was by definition going to be a draft capital commerce.”
“My hand remains to be sore” 😂😂 https://t.co/NhNbKS2jR8 pic.twitter.com/jBBBHPeAwi
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) June 17, 2025
Weltman was additionally candid concerning the stakes concerned. The willingness to incorporate 4 unprotected first-rounders mirrored perception in Bane’s affect and a transparent resolution to speed up the Magic’s timeline.
“Our aim isn’t to win the East; it’s to win a championship, and step one to doing that’s we have gotta transfer our group ahead and get ourselves into that dialog,” Weltman mentioned. “We’re hopeful that this commerce will do this. Does that imply that it is going to occur instantly? We’ve got to let these guys get collectively. However the great thing about this commerce is that they are all on the age profile and contract profile the place we’ll be capable of maintain them collectively for some time.”
Bane, 26, is underneath contract with the Magic by the 2028–29 season on a four-year, $163.0 million deal. He’s set to earn $36.7 million in 2025–26—beneath the present most wage for a participant together with his years of service. That construction permits Orlando so as to add a high-level starter with out utilizing a full max slot, preserving flexibility because the group approaches extension selections on Banchero, Wagner, and Suggs.
Historic Capturing and Playmaking Combo
Bane is one in every of solely two gamers in NBA historical past to shoot at the least 40.0 p.c from past the arc on 10+ makes an attempt per 100 possessions whereas additionally averaging at the least six assists per 100 possessions. The opposite? Stephen Curry.
For his profession, Bane has hit 41.0% of his threes on 10.2 makes an attempt per 100 possessions and averaged 6.1 assists. Curry has made 42.3% of his triples on 13.4 makes an attempt and posted 9.1 assists per 100 possessions. No different participant meets all three thresholds.
“The man is nearly the participant you’d design in case you may begin from scratch,” Weltman mentioned. “Desmond is such a singular participant as a result of he’s the most effective shooters within the NBA. However he’s additionally a gifted playmaker. He generates shot creation for himself and for others. He creates benefits with and with out the ball.”
He added, “We valued him very extremely for some time. There are few guys within the league that in the event that they develop into obtainable, you’re going to be aggressive. I truthfully didn’t count on him to be obtainable, however after we discovered about that, we made it a precedence for us.”
let’s get to work @DBane0625 🪄 pic.twitter.com/VaoRE2JTnC
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) June 17, 2025
Bane additionally brings precious secondary playmaking and defensive toughness. In Memphis, he averaged 19.2 factors, 4.7 assists, and 5.2 rebounds final season whereas capturing 48.4% from the sector and 89.4% from the road. He was the one NBA participant to hit all three effectivity marks.
Tradition Match and Services Make Impression
Bane praised head coach Jamahl Mosley as a player-first chief who not solely understands the way to join together with his group on a private degree, but additionally creates an surroundings the place gamers really feel empowered to thrive. He emphasised Mosley’s means to construct belief, talk clearly, and instill confidence—qualities that Bane mentioned stood out instantly.
“Cool cat. I feel that’s one of the simplest ways to place it,” Bane mentioned. “Looks as if he’s actually a participant’s coach. Places the fellows first, places himself in our footwear, and provides us freedom.”
He emphasised how empowering Mosley’s philosophy is for gamers, significantly these aiming to search out rhythm and consistency inside a structured system that also permits for individuality.
“That’s the factor each participant needs—is freedom. He’s going to empower us to be ourselves on the market,” Bane mentioned. “Like I requested him, ‘Yo coach, what you need from me?’ And he mentioned, ‘Be you—off the court docket, on the court docket, be your self.’ That simply gave me the last word confidence that that is going to be a terrific match and great place for me.”
Mosley welcomed the reward and used it as a possibility to strengthen the group’s inside tradition, emphasizing the significance of relationships, belief, and shared accountability in constructing a related locker room.
“That’s the place I began—participant growth. It’s all the time been concerning the relationships,” Mosley mentioned. “I really imagine the best groups are these which might be related within the locker room. As coaches, we wish to create that construction, however the gamers’ chemistry helps make us higher too. That mutual belief issues.”
DB3 🔥 pic.twitter.com/dPgUt2Eyfu
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) June 17, 2025
The Magic’s upgraded amenities additionally left a powerful impression. Bane, who spent his first 4 NBA seasons with Memphis, famous the distinction.
“The one in Memphis—we didn’t haven’t one window. We joked round and known as it the dungeon,” Bane mentioned. “This can be a breath of recent air. Actually, you can step exterior and get a breath of recent air and eat on the patio. I imply there’s indoor-outdoor coaching facility, all of the bells and whistles are in right here and it’s nice. However I really feel just like the folks is absolutely what’s gonna make this place particular.”
When requested about ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith suggesting the Magic overpaid, Bane declined to deal with the criticism instantly.
“He—he—no. I’ll simply say no. I’ll go away it at that. My first day on the job,” Bane mentioned.
Embracing Expectations
With Bane, the Magic are projected as a top-four group within the Japanese Convention. Their ambitions have clearly developed past merely making the playoffs.
“It’s a brand new period,” Bane mentioned. “Make some new reminiscences and push this factor ahead—again to the success they’d previously.”
Mosley welcomed the heightened expectations that now encompass the group, viewing the added strain as a crucial step within the Magic’s progress and pursuit of sustained success.
“That’s nice. We’ve mentioned it from the start—strain is a privilege,” Mosley mentioned. “This group must embrace that strain to develop, develop, problem one another, and maintain one another accountable. It’s a part of the method as we attempt to develop into the most effective groups we could be.”
He additionally highlighted Bane’s underappreciated strengths—significantly his means to deal with the ball, create off the dribble, and function successfully each on and off the ball.
“His ball-handling—I don’t assume he’s been given sufficient credit score for that,” Mosley mentioned. “He’s had the ball in his arms greater than folks understand. He is aware of the way to play off the ball too, however when guys went down in Memphis, he was dealing with it quite a bit. As a result of he can shoot so nicely, folks overlook his means to get to the basket.”
As Orlando eyes the following step in its evolution, Mosley framed the commerce as a transparent sign of the group’s dedication to competing on the highest degree.
“It exhibits we’re severe. We’re not sitting again and hoping issues occur—we’re going out and making them occur,” Mosley mentioned. “It displays our dedication to progress and adapting to what’s wanted to take the following step.”
With Bane in place, the Magic have made their intentions clear: the rebuild is over, and the pursuit of a championship is on.
